ROCKFORD — Republicans combined two of the Winnebago County Board’s most powerful positions and handed the job over to one of its youngest, most unassuming members.

The reorganization occurred with little fanfare in December — just the way John F. Sweeney prefers.

The 29-year-old County Board majority leader and Republican caucus chair doesn’t seek the limelight. He’s never called a news conference in his six-plus years on the board, and his colleagues describe him as a quiet, collaborative leader.

“My focus as political leadership has been to empower everyone’s voice,” Sweeney said. “I’ve tried to base everything on inclusion. Everyone gets the opportunity to air their concern, no matter what it is.”

Sweeney, the youngest board member aside from Republican Kyle Logan, was raised in local Republican Party politics thanks to his father, John M. Sweeney. The elder John Sweeney also served a stint as Republican caucus chairman during his 10 years on the board and helped run campaigns for state Sen. Dave Syverson, R-Rockford. That’s when an 8-year-old John F. Sweeney got his first taste of politics: stuffing envelopes.

“Back then, there wasn’t the automatic folding machines for envelopes, so we would fold up thousands of envelopes,” John F. Sweeney said. “I was putting up yard signs for candidates since I was a 9-year-old kid.”

Sweeney’s political philosophy is based on core conservative principles of small government and limited spending, but lately he’s looked for ways to dedicate more cash to hire police to help combat the county’s crime rate, which is among the highest in Illinois.

He has also nudged his colleagues to take a closer look at why court cases take so long to move through the system. Study of that issue and new hires to support the criminal justice system has come at added cost for the county.

Sweeney and other board members hope it pays off by preventing the need to again expand a jail that has seen its inmate population ballooned about 35 percent from 2008 through 2012.

Years ago, the County Board made more headlines for its bickering than for the work it did, but both Democrats and Republicans say things have run smoothly in recent years. Sweeney can’t take credit for that, but his colleagues say his calm demeanor and ability to work with others will help prolong what’s been a mostly cooperative board.

For instance, the board was often mired in debate and controversy when it came time to appoint board members to coveted committee leadership posts. The board unanimously selected Sweeney to fill the GOP caucus chair and majority leader roles in December.

The dual role makes Sweeney responsible for keeping GOP board members on task and in agreement on County Board business such as how to relegate county funds to hire police, expand infrastructure for business growth and speed up the court system. Sweeney must also earn the support of the board’s seven Democrats to keep things running smoothly

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“For the caucus leader, it’s all a function of how big your majority is and how well you’re able to hold that majority, move things forward and then bring Democrats on board,” Board member John Guevara, R-19, said. “John does those things very well.”

Seven Republican seats were eliminated when the board was cut from 28 to 20 members in December, but Republicans still hold 13 seats. Sweeney’s ability to lead Republicans hasn’t been tested yet because few issues have split along party lines in recent years. The board approved newly drawn district boundaries for its members — often a contentious political issue — with bipartisan support last year.

“I’ve never worked on a county board makeup as good as this one and the prior one,” said County Board member Jim Webster, a former Republican caucus chairman. “I don’t recall any votes going down party lines.”

The parties have enjoyed a peaceful coexistence in recent years, but “you never know when that hot topic issue will come up splitting the two parties or splitting the members of the board,” said Democratic minority leader Dave Tassoni.

Former County Board member Frank Gambino served as majority leader before he made an ultimately unsuccessful Republican bid for a state Senate seat last year.

Sweeney, at least for now, says he has no higher political aspiration. His focus, he said, is on his career as an agent for Shields State Farm Insurance and raising his 4-year-old son, John M.F. Sweeney, with his wife, Dolores.

“I’m honored to be entrusted with this leadership position and honored that the folks in the 16th District elected me,” he said. “But right now, I’m all about being a dad.”